Process for making domes for plastic construction



' 'Oct- 6, 1925. 1,556,324

W. M. GOLDSMITH PROCESS FOR MAKING DOMES' FOR PLASTIC CONSTRUCTION Filed March 22. 1922 I Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

" unwise s rarsis PATENT OQFFT'CE...

' WILIiIAM M. GOLDSMITH, O'FCINCINNATI; I-IIO.

PROCESS FOR MAK-I NG DOMES FORr P-IlAS'DIC 'GONSEDR UGTIOZNQ Applicationifiled mama, ,1a2'2: Serial no. 545529 lowing-is-a specification.

' Am object of my inventionisto expedite the manufacture of domes or arched forms of the typethat are used in plastic const-nue t-ion suchas reinforcedfloors, et'c.

Anotherobject' is tosimplify the. manufacture of such domes. I

These and other objects are, attained, by the. means described: therein and: disclosed in. the accompanying drawings in which:

- Fig. 1 is a perspective view-of a. dome made in conformity. with my process, parts of: the dome being broken away;

F ig; 2 is a sectional View of line 2-2; on a reduced scale.

.Fig. 3 is a( sectional. view of: one of: th sides of a dome; I

Fig; 4 is a planview of a series of sides interlocked with one another. preparatory to the mounting: of; the top or closure-on such sides.

v My. process contemplates a number of side plates 1 which may. be secured upon one another; inthe manner shown in- Fig.4, and oven whicha top plate. may, be'placed; whereuponltliose. parts ofi the top andside plates whichrengage have, pressure exertedi upon thenr. so. as; to squash: the engaging, parts upon one another; thereby.- locking; the side plates and top plate upon one another. v

The side plates 1, atitheir opposite ends, are turned upon themselves whereby U- shaped flanges 3 and 4 are formed at such ends. The flanges 3 and 4: are turned upon opposite sides of the side plates. The side plate is then turned upon itself adjacent the flange a so as to form a U-shaped groove 6, which groove extends toward the same side of the side plate 1 as does the flange 3, the open end 7 of the groove 6 opening toward that side of the plate 1 opposite to the side upon which the flange 3 lies. A flange 8 is formed along the upper edge of the plate 1, and extends in the direction opposite to that in which the flange 3 extends. All of the side plates are constructed in this manner whereby any flange 3 on any side plate may be inserted into the U-shaped groove 6 of any other side plate, whereby there is attained a polygonal walled; tubular: structure comprising aserieseof. side; plates;..the.-flanges 8 on all; of= the side? plates extending out- Waldly, The top: plate 2' has. its; side; edges 9,t-urneddownwardly upon=,itself so as; to

form U shaped. grooves. 10 the: grooves being slightly wider than the thickness of flanges 8 on.the=plates 1'. The-cover or top is then; slid over the sides; in i such! manner I as to lodge-the, flanges: 8 .upon twoofl the;op-.

positesidesofthe structureas shownin Fig. a, in. thegrooves 10 formed. upon. opposite sides. of. the top. plate. This is possible. by slightly spuingingQt-he one end of the top over the endsc-of the opposedaflanges'to; start thetop. over the tubular. structure. The slight play resultant from. making, the grooves: slightly wider than the flanges readily permits such: assembly-.. The; top is slidoven the forms shown. in Fig lcuntil the flange; on. the,- side plate transverse to; the movement of the top and over which. the top plate. ismovedg. has; lodged. in its. complementar-yv groovelOdn the top,- as shown in Fig: 2.. This. then. leaves;thev flange; in: the

sideplate towards:whiclmthetopwas being moved to, be seated in its complementary. groove. in the top, plate. The edges-of; the. top plate2'areturned over to, an extentsuch that. the overturned. edge Ofl the top which forms; the. groove into. which the: flange. on. the, side? plate. which, is:- tobe. seated lastly,

,willjustclear such flange: The-whole-form is then placed. over. a suitable; squashing. die and; the several. flanges and; tanned.v oven e dges/are squashedupononeanother, where by. theseveralv elements are: locked upon-one another. It. should be observed; that. the grooves 10 are slightly wider than the thickness of the flanges 8 and have lower ends extending inwardly toward the center of the form, Wherebythe ends of the lower walls of the grooves in the top plate will be moved further centerward and all such lower walls will because of the reduction in width of said grooves from theaction of the squashmg die, assume positions in engagement structure will serve to lock the top on thetubular form. WVhereas there would be no occasion to remove the top from the tubular form, the squashing might be dispensed with, although then the top would not serve as eiflciently for effecting a rigid tubular side structure.

If desired, the side plates and top plate may be corrugated in any of the manners well known in the art, whereby the plates may be strengthened, without interfering with the application of my process. Also the side plates may be secured upon one another in any well known manner, prior to afiixing the top plate thereupon.

I claim 1. The process of making domes for use with concrete floor construction and the like comprising forming a flange on one side and U-shaped grooves at opposite ends of plates, inserting a wall of each plate in the groove in the next adjacent plate, whereby a polygonal walled tube is formed, the plates having their flanges extending outwardly, forming a top with U-shaped grooves for the reception of the flanges on the plates, sliding the top over the tube and locking the flanges in the grooves in the top, and squashing the walls of all of the grooves whereby the plates and top are secured upon one another.

2. The process of making forms for use in concrete floor construction and the like comprising forming plates each with a flange along one edge and with U-shaped grooves at its ends, the grooves opening on opposite sides of the plates and having their walls offset toward the same side of the plates, the depth of the grooves extending at an angle one to the other, assembling a series of plates by inserting a wall of one groove on one plate in a groove on the next plate, the walls of all the grooves opening on a given side of the plates being inserted in the grooves on the opposite side of the next adjacent plate, whereby a polygonal walled tube is formed, the plates having their flanges extending outwardly, forming a top with U-shaped grooves along its edges, all said grooves lying on a common side of the top, and being of a width in excess of the thickness of the flanges on the plates, the free edges of the walls of the grooves on two opposite sides of the top being spaced a distance slightly in excess of the distance between the outermost edges of the flanges disposed on opposite sides of the tubular structure, sliding the top transversely of the tube by inserting flanges on the plates in grooves on the top and moving the top over one of the flanges and toward the other of the flanges, the distance of which last two mentioned flanges, is slightly less than the distance between the mentioned edges of the grooved walls: on the top, and disposing the flanges and the walls of the grooves on the top in such relationship that the top is locked against withdrawal from the tubular form by means of said flanges and grooved walls.

8. A process for mounting a top plate upon a side plate structure having outwardly extending flanges along its upper edge, comprising forming a top plate with U-shaped grooves along its edges, all said grooves lying on a common side of the top plate and being of a width in excess of the thickness of the flanges on the side plate structure, the edges of the grooves at opposite sides of the top plate being spaced at a distance slightly in excess of the distance between the outermost edges of the flanges on opposite sides of the side plate structure, inserting the flanges on opposite sides of the side plate structure in oppositely disposed grooves in the top plate, sliding the to plate over the side plate structure until al the flanges lodge in grooves in the topplate, and squashing the walls of the grooves, whereby the top is looked upon the flanges.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 21st day of March, 1922.

WILLIAM M. GOLDSMITH. 

